Venting closure



, Sept. 2, W41. H. A. BARNBY EIAL VENTING CLOSURE -Filed Dec. ,4, 1939INVENTORS HA.BJIKNBY z/YM. WHEATOM M x ATTORNE Patented Sept. 2, 1941VENTING CLOSURE Herbert A. Barnby and Jack M. Wheaton, Toledo, OhioApplication December a, 1939, Serial No. 307,372

'5 Claims.

. or clogging of the pinhole will permit exhaust of the gas by way of anopening between the sealing disk and sealing surface of the container.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a novelconstruction, which under any and all circumstances and conditions, willinsure venting of gas from the bottle or container to the atmosphere,yet will not permit leakage of, the liquid contents of the container.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of closure and containershowing our invention embodied therein,

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the closure with the sealing gasketremoved therefrom.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating in considerabledetail one position assumed by the central portion of the gasket ordiaphragm under excessive internal pressure. a

Fig. 4 is a detail sectionalyiew showing another position of the gasketor diaphragm, such as would result from clogging or stoppage of thepinhole or the formation of abnormally excessive internal pressure. I

Fig; 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantiallyalong the line.55 of Fig. 4..

Fig. '6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 6-6 of Fig. 2. In the illustrated embodiment of our inventionit is shown in conjunction with a molded closure ID or cap which isthreaded upon the neck ll of a glass container l2 or bottle. The closureincludes a circular top l3 and a depending attaching flange H, thelatter being provided with internal screw threads 15 which are designedfor holding engagement with external threads IE or other equivalentdevices formed upon the neck ll of the container.

The venting feature includes a centrally positioned circular recess I!in the inner surface of the top l3 and a pair of diametrically opposedradial channels I 8 which at their inner ends open into the recess l1and extend to the inner face of the attaching flange [4. These channelsl8 or grooves increase in width towards the attaching flange anddecrease in depth from one longitudinal margin to the other. At the deepside of each channel the wall l9 and bottom of the channel form an acuteangle which results in the formation of a radial passageway, the innerend of which cannot be completely closed simply by reason of outwardbulging of the central portion 20 of a sealing gasket 2| or diaphragm.

This sealing gasket is of slightly smaller diam eter than the internaldiameter of the upper portion of the attaching flange [4, whereby toprovide an annular space 22 through which gas may escape and pass aroundthe threads of the container and closure to the atmosphere. A- centrallpositioned pinhole 23 or vent is formed in the sealing'gasket. pressureis formed within the container, the central portion of the gasketballoons outwardly into the recess I! (Fig. 3) thereby permitting theexcess gas tofiow through the pinhole 23 and channels 18 to the space 22and thence around the threads to the atmosphere. I Should the internalgas pressure become abnormally excessive and/or the pinhole 23 becomeclogged, the central portion of the gasket will be forced a considerabledistance into the recess l1 and those portions of the gasket immediatelybeneath the channels l8 will be forced upwardly into the latter asufiicient distance to create a space between the marginal portions oithe gasket and the sealing surface 24 of the container neck as shown inFig. 5. Thus the ex cessive gas pressure will escape to the atmosphereeven though the normal passage thereof'through the pinhole 23 or vent,and the recess l'l cannot be efiected for one reason or another.

Modifications may be resorted to within the spirit and scope of theappended claims.

We claim: 1. In combination, a container having a circular neck defininga filling and discharging opening and provided with external screwthreads and an annular sealing surface at its outer end,

In the event excessive gas centrally thereof, there being a spacebetween the margin of the sealing gasket and inner wall of the attachingflange, said top of the closure having an internal central recess inregister with the venting opening, and a radial channel opening at oneend into said recess and extending to the inner wall of the attachingflange, the bottom of said channel and a longitudinal side wall thereofbeing relatively positioned to form an acute angle.

2. In combination, a container having a circular neck defining a fillingand discharging opening and provided with external screw threads and anannular sealing surface at its outer end, a closure including a circulartop and a depending attaching flange, internal screw threads on theattaching flange for holding engagement with the threads on thecontainer, a resilient sealing gasket interposed between the top of theclosure and the sealing surface of the container and having a normallyclosed venting opening disposed centrally thereof, there being a spacebetween the margin of the sealing gasket and inner wall of the attachingflange, said top of the closure having an internal central recess inregister with the venting opening, and a radial channel opening at oneend into said recess and extending to the inner wall of the attachingflange, said channel decreasing in depth in a direction transverse toits length and having a longitudinal side wall disposed at an acuteangle to the bottom .of the channel. 7

3. In combination, a container having a circular neck defining a flllingand discharging opening and provided with external screw threads and anannular sealing surface at its outer end, a closure including a circulartop and a depending attaching flange, internal screw threads on theattaching flange for holding engagement with the threads on thecontainer, a resilient sealing gasket interposed between the top of theclosure and the sealing surface of the container and having a normallyclosed venting opening disposed centrally thereof, there being a spacebetween the margin of the sealing gasket and inner wall of the attachingflange, said top of the closurehaving an internal central recess inregister with the venting opening, and a radial channel opening at oneend into said recess and extending to the inner wall of the attachingflange, said channel gradually increasing in depth in a directiontransverse to the length thereof and having a side wall at the deep 'endinclined to thereby form an acute angle between said wall and the bottomof the channel.

4, In combination, a container having a circular neck defining a fillingand discharging opening and provided with external screw threads and anannular sealing surface at its outer end, a closure including a circulartop and a depending attaching flange, internal screw threads on theattaching flange for holding engagement with the threads on thecontainer, a resilient sealing gasket interposed between the top of theclosure and the sealing surface of the container and having a normallyclosed venting opening disposed centrally thereof, there .being a spacebetween the margin of the sealing gasket and inner wall of the attachingflange, said top of the closure having an internal central recess inregister with the venting opening, and a pair of diametrically opposedradial channels opening at one end into said recess and extending to theinner wall of the attaching flange, the bottom of each of said channelsand longitudinal side wall thereof being relatively positioned to forman acute angle.

5. A molded closure formed of a synthetic resin material comprising acircular top portion, a depending attaching skirt at the margin of saidtop'portion, means formed on the skirt for attaching the closure to acontainer, said top portion having an internal centrally positionedrecess and a radial channel communicating at its inner end with saidrecess and terminating at its outer end at the juncture of the skirt andtop portion, said channel having one of its side walls disposed at anacute angle with respect to the bottom of the channel, and a pliablesealing gasket overlying said channel and recess and formed with anormally closed vent opening in register with said recess.

HERBERT A. BARNBY. JACK M. WHEATON.

